Dumping data structures with circular references.

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Date: Fri, 3 Nov 89 18:43 PST
From: Robert D. Pfeiffer <RDP@ALAN.LAAC-AI.Dialnet.Symbolics.COM>
Subject: Dumping data structures with circular references.
To: SLUG@ALAN.LAAC-AI.Dialnet.Symbolics.COM
In-Reply-To: <19891103205157.5.MOON@KENNETH-WILLIAMS.SCRC.Symbolics.COM>
Message-ID: <19891104024350.6.RDP@THOMAS.LAAC-AI.Dialnet.Symbolics.COM>

    Date: Fri, 3 Nov 89 15:51 EST
    From: Moon@STONY-BROOK.SCRC.Symbolics.COM (David A. Moon)

    [...]

    ANSI Common Lisp specifies a general solution to this, the MAKE-LOAD-FORM
    generic function.  Briefly,

    [...]

Yes, a general solution built into the language sounds good and would
make life a lot easier.  (Naturally, I can't postpone work on my current
project to wait for this functionality but I guess you can't have
everything!  In any case, all of the helpful feedback I've gotten should
make it fairly easy to polish off this issue for now.)

    You should let Symbolics know whether you want this implemented in
    Genera 8.0, whether you want it for both Flavors and CLOS or only for
    CLOS, and how high you rate its importance.  Be specific, mention some
    other feature that you would be willing to sacrifice in order to get
    this one.  Genera 8.0 is just about to go into beta test, so this is
    the time to get your final input in.

    Your input can help us a lot when making decisions on where to put our
    resources, and whether to develop new features or improve the quality
    of old features.

When you say, "let Symbolics know," what communication channel do you
have in mind?  Mail to Customer-Reports, mail to the SLUG list, talk to
our local Symbolics salesman, or something else?


Thanks again to one and all for the feedback you've provided.